Did Oprah Winfrey Have Weight Loss Surgery?

Written by Clark on October 7, 2024 — Medically Reviewed by Clark

Oprah Winfrey weight loss comparison, before and after

The world knows Oprah Winfrey, a television legend and a passionate philanthropist. She has captivated audiences with her powerful messages and incredible stories. Yet, throughout her long career, she has been plagued by rumors and less-than-desirable statements made by competitors and virtually anyone else about her weight. Unfortunately, comments like this are common and can transform how a person thinks about themselves, no matter how much good they do in the world. Consider Oprah Winfrey and her battle with weight loss, including rumors that Oprah had weight loss surgery.

Oprah Winfrey’s Battle With Weight

The 70-year-old mogul has achieved a great deal in her lifetime, including transforming her body numerous times through various dieting plans, programs, and fitness strategies. She spoke about many of them on her television program, connecting with the millions of women and men who also battle with weight loss.

Her weight loss battle has long been front and center in the work she has done. A lifelong battle, she has stated, and in interviews, she was the first state that she blamed herself and found herself in moments of despair. It took her years to better understand her journey and what it was taking from her well-being and mental health.

In 2023, she made the decision that she had enough. She said that she had the revelation that obesity is not a character flaw but rather a disease, one that deserved equal attention as any other disease. 

What Do People Have to Say About Her Weight Loss?

Oprah Winfrey weight loss comparison, weight loss surgery rumors

People have talked about Oprah’s weight loss many times, often making less-than-desirable statements about the way she looked, the types of diets she used, and how she was losing weight this time. Over the years, there has been talk about Oprah turning to diet pills, supplements, and fad diets. She has exercised and worked hard through various fitness programs to lose weight. There is also talk about her having weight loss surgery.

People have said a great deal about how she has lost weight and what she experienced. That is until she took to the media to tell her story.

Weight Loss of Oprah Winfrey is Unknown

In late 2023, Oprah stated that she had made the decision to stop shaming herself and instead turned to an anti-obesity medication to help her lose weight. She shared that she had been using an anti-obesity medication to help her lose weight. She did not state which medication she used, including whether it was Eegovy, Mounjar, Ozempic, or others. These medications, called GPL-1s, work to quiet the food noise in a person’s mind, allowing them to focus less on food as a mental crutch. 

Did Oprah Winfrey Have Weight Loss Surgery?

Oprah Winfrey weight loss surgery rumors

There are numerous reports that Oprah may have had weight loss surgery at various times in her life. While these are reports, they have never been substantiated. Though she has always been very closely guarded about sharing information on her health and overall well-being, there is no indication that she directly had weight loss surgery to drop the significant weight she had.

She has worked through Weight Watchers, balancing her diet and exercise. She also engaged in more activity throughout her day to increase her overall ability to exercise. Yet, there was no insight into if she had weight loss surgery. 

Oprah Winfrey and GLP-1?

Oprah has come forward to state that she is using GLP-1s to help her lose weight. These medications involve a shot taken one time every week that has been used for some time as a medication to control type 2 diabetes. They work to control food noise or thoughts about food throughout the day, allowing a person to naturally lose weight.

Weight Loss Surgery vs GLP-1?

Oprah Winfrey weight loss comparison

Weight loss surgery and GLP-1s are very different methods for significant weight loss. Weight loss surgery is a permanent solution. It alters the function of the gastrointestinal tract, changing the way the body can take in and absorb calories. This leads to significant and ongoing weight loss. 

GLP-1s are a medication injected into the body every week. The medication slows down the metabolism process and interacts with the brain to control food noise. The process is more internal-based. It does have numerous drawbacks, including not being effective for some, causing serious side effects, including some life-threatening complications, and offering limited results. Once a person stops using the shot, regaining weight is a possibility, and that could mean that you go back to where you were.

Oprah Winfrey’s Career

Oprah Winfrey has had a long public life. She has worked from being a news anchor to being one of the highest-paid talk show hosts in history. Ultimately, she was named one of the wealthiest women in the world. She is known for her long-term talk show every afternoon, where she would tell the stories of other people, offer insightful programming to solve problems, provide revelations about the way people thought and lived, and offer insight and support to multitudes of people who tuned in. After ending her talk show after 25 years, she went on to found and build the Harpo Network, an even larger empire. She continues to participate in a wide range of activities and educational programming.

What We Do Know About Oprah Winfrey

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There are a lot of insights about Oprah and her struggle with weight. She is one of the most vocal people when it comes to sharing her thoughts, struggles, and feelings about weight gain and weight loss. While there have been a lot of rumors over the years about how Oprah has lost weight and regained it, including claims of weight loss surgery, she has come out to set the record straight with her most recent transformation.

Oprah’s weight loss may include a variety of strategies, but it also includes the use of GLP-1s. She has found the most success on this path to weight loss, having lost a significant amount of weight over the last few years that she attributes to the anti-obesity drug. 

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